TIGER TIGER, by A. Catherine Noon and Rachel Wilder
Available July 23 from Samhain Publishing
Blurb:
Chicagoland Shifters, Book 2
Veterinary trauma surgeon and animal empath Sasha Soskoff has found everything he ever wanted with his new partners Neal, Steve and Carlos. Life feels as safe and secure as it can be among a group of ex-Marine tiger shifters. Until a homeless man is found, gruesomely mauled and murdered, near Neal’s BDSM club.
When it’s determined a rogue tiger did the deed, the jaguars’ accusing eyes turn toward Sasha’s lovers. The precarious balance of peace tips dangerously toward war.
Neal knows damned well none of his tigers committed the crime. Someone must be in Chicago without his knowledge or permission, and they’d better find him fast before uncertainty and conflict rip the tight-knit band apart from the inside.
As Sasha struggles to heal the stress fractures forming among his tiger family, he begins to wonder if his dreams of a home, and love, were too good to be true. And it’s precisely that moment the killer strikes at the heart of the tiger clan—Sasha himself.
Excerpt:
The two silent jaguars with Felipe didn’t join them in the restaurant. Sasha followed Neal into the alley and around to the back entrance. Neal wanted to build a direct passage from the clinic into the main Factory space, but hadn’t yet.
Steve met them inside the entrance to the restaurant. “Hi. Steve Wilson.” He held out his hand for Miguel to shake.
Miguel hesitated and took it, and the two men stared hard at each other. Felipe cleared his throat and Miguel let go, frowning. Steve smirked and stepped back, allowing them by.
The scent of breakfast filled Sasha’s nose. It dawned on him that the cats, with their hundred-times-more-intense senses of smell, already knew. Maybe it accounted for Miguel not pushing it with Steve—he wanted to eat. Sasha wanted to laugh but didn’t quite dare. Neal winked at Sasha and let him go in first.
Steve set places at the big family table for eight in the center of the restaurant and they all sat. TJ stalked in on a cloud of his own power and Miguel eyed him. The Texan hesitated before sitting down.
Felipe cleared his throat. “This is Miguel Verde, El Capitan of Los Gatos.”
“This is TJ Butler, my communications and security specialist,” Neal introduced. “Mitchell Brayden, recon. Carlos Guzmán is on security detail.”
“All these men are former Marines?” Miguel seemed impressed, which again made Sasha want to laugh. Realizing the group he hoped to intimidate all had special military training and were Siberian tiger shifters had to take at least some of the wind out of his sails.
TJ didn’t quite make eye contact with either of the jaguars, though Mitch and Carlos seemed polite enough. Sasha saw Neal frown and study TJ, but TJ showed no sign of awareness of it. TJ did seem paler than usual to Sasha…had something beyond the shit with Miguel upset him?
Before he could ask, Mario appeared with a huge tray. Leo followed with a smaller one and Misha came around to each of them for a beverage order.
“These are Leo and Misha, from the home tribe.” Neal gestured at each of the younger shifters. The jaguars seemed more focused on the Marines, rather than the younger men, and Sasha hid a smile.
Sasha eyed the plates of eggs as his stomach growled. Mario had even made Sasha’s favorite potatoes, spiced with some seasoned salt and onions.
“Here’s your meatless version.” Mario handed him a plate with eggs, vegetables, cheese and potatoes.
Sasha tried not to drool and caught Mitch smirking at him. He stuck out his tongue at the Marine and Mitch laughed, a quiet puff of air from his nose.
“No meat?” Miguel eyed him with a superior expression and a tone in his voice.
“Yeah, no meat.” Sasha sat back, feeling pugnacious. “Why?”
“You don’t eat any meat? At all?”
Sasha glared into his eyes and let his irritation flow out of him. “I’m an animal empath.”
Miguel inhaled, face darkening, but Felipe sat forward and reached for the salt, breaking their eye contact.
After a moment, Miguel stirred and put some eggs and sausage on his fork. “We don’t have it in our clans.”
“We don’t either, exactly.” Neal shrugged. “Sasha’s magic doesn’t have anything to do with the tigers, per sé.”
“He’s a, what do you call it, empath? Empath for all the clans?” Miguel gazed at Neal with some expression in his eyes Sasha couldn’t read, but his stomach tightened.
Felipe’s eyes widened but he said nothing, like he didn’t know what to say.
Neal’s eyes narrowed. “What are you fishing for, jaguar?”
“If he is a shared resource, he should be shared, no?”
“Shared how?” Sasha demanded.
“Doc.” Neal touched his leg. “Calm down.”
“No, Neal. I want to hear his answer. I’m already working in the clinic, and dealing with jaguar injuries. I want to hear how he thinks I’m not shared enough.”
“You live with the tigers.” Miguel gestured at the ones around the table and, by extension, the rest of the building.
“Yeah? Because I’m sleeping with three of them.”
Miguel’s face flushed. “So the rumors are true.”
“What rumors?”
Miguel hesitated, glancing at Neal and then Steve. Carlos shifted his weight in his seat, eyes narrowed as he gazed at Miguel.
Yeah, buster. Get an idea of the size of my lovers before you insult my sexual orientation.
Buy link: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/tiger-tiger-p-72887.html
Aunt Noony’s Meatless Scramble
Serves 4
Ingredients:
8 eggs
1/2 C whole milk
2 T butter
2 T chopped fresh chives or green onions
1/2 C fresh broccoli tops, chopped
1/2 C chopped zucchini
1/2 C mushrooms (use your favorite; plain white mushrooms are good or go gourmet)
1/2 C crumbled feta cheese
1 t salt
1 t seasoning (I like to use curry powder or Hyde Park Seasoning from The Spice House) http://www.thespicehouse.com/spices/hyde-park-seasoning-blend
Instructions:
Whisk eggs and milk in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with salt and seasoning of your choice. Heat the butter over medium heat in a cast iron skillet (or plain non-stick skillet if you don’t have iron). Sauté chives or onion in the butter until they become translucent. Add the broccoli, zucchini and mushrooms and cook for about two minutes. Whisk the eggs again, making sure to get as much air into them as you can, then pour them slowly into the butter and chive mixture. Let the eggs cook for about a minute, until the edges start to get firm, then use a spatula to push the cooked eggs to the center of the pan and the liquid to flow around underneath, so it can cook. I like my scrambled eggs to be medium-well, meaning very little liquid, but you can cook them as much as you like. When they’re just about done, add the feta and stir it so it warms.
Enjoy!
When it’s determined a rogue tiger did the deed, the jaguars’ accusing eyes turn toward Sasha’s lovers. The precarious balance of peace tips dangerously toward war.
Neal knows damned well none of his tigers committed the crime. Someone must be in Chicago without his knowledge or permission, and they’d better find him fast before uncertainty and conflict rip the tight-knit band apart from the inside.
As Sasha struggles to heal the stress fractures forming among his tiger family, he begins to wonder if his dreams of a home, and love, were too good to be true. And it’s precisely that moment the killer strikes at the heart of the tiger clan—Sasha himself.
Excerpt:
The two silent jaguars with Felipe didn’t join them in the restaurant. Sasha followed Neal into the alley and around to the back entrance. Neal wanted to build a direct passage from the clinic into the main Factory space, but hadn’t yet.
Steve met them inside the entrance to the restaurant. “Hi. Steve Wilson.” He held out his hand for Miguel to shake.
Miguel hesitated and took it, and the two men stared hard at each other. Felipe cleared his throat and Miguel let go, frowning. Steve smirked and stepped back, allowing them by.
The scent of breakfast filled Sasha’s nose. It dawned on him that the cats, with their hundred-times-more-intense senses of smell, already knew. Maybe it accounted for Miguel not pushing it with Steve—he wanted to eat. Sasha wanted to laugh but didn’t quite dare. Neal winked at Sasha and let him go in first.
Steve set places at the big family table for eight in the center of the restaurant and they all sat. TJ stalked in on a cloud of his own power and Miguel eyed him. The Texan hesitated before sitting down.
Felipe cleared his throat. “This is Miguel Verde, El Capitan of Los Gatos.”
“This is TJ Butler, my communications and security specialist,” Neal introduced. “Mitchell Brayden, recon. Carlos Guzmán is on security detail.”
“All these men are former Marines?” Miguel seemed impressed, which again made Sasha want to laugh. Realizing the group he hoped to intimidate all had special military training and were Siberian tiger shifters had to take at least some of the wind out of his sails.
TJ didn’t quite make eye contact with either of the jaguars, though Mitch and Carlos seemed polite enough. Sasha saw Neal frown and study TJ, but TJ showed no sign of awareness of it. TJ did seem paler than usual to Sasha…had something beyond the shit with Miguel upset him?
Before he could ask, Mario appeared with a huge tray. Leo followed with a smaller one and Misha came around to each of them for a beverage order.
“These are Leo and Misha, from the home tribe.” Neal gestured at each of the younger shifters. The jaguars seemed more focused on the Marines, rather than the younger men, and Sasha hid a smile.
Sasha eyed the plates of eggs as his stomach growled. Mario had even made Sasha’s favorite potatoes, spiced with some seasoned salt and onions.
“Here’s your meatless version.” Mario handed him a plate with eggs, vegetables, cheese and potatoes.
Sasha tried not to drool and caught Mitch smirking at him. He stuck out his tongue at the Marine and Mitch laughed, a quiet puff of air from his nose.
“No meat?” Miguel eyed him with a superior expression and a tone in his voice.
“Yeah, no meat.” Sasha sat back, feeling pugnacious. “Why?”
“You don’t eat any meat? At all?”
Sasha glared into his eyes and let his irritation flow out of him. “I’m an animal empath.”
Miguel inhaled, face darkening, but Felipe sat forward and reached for the salt, breaking their eye contact.
After a moment, Miguel stirred and put some eggs and sausage on his fork. “We don’t have it in our clans.”
“We don’t either, exactly.” Neal shrugged. “Sasha’s magic doesn’t have anything to do with the tigers, per sé.”
“He’s a, what do you call it, empath? Empath for all the clans?” Miguel gazed at Neal with some expression in his eyes Sasha couldn’t read, but his stomach tightened.
Felipe’s eyes widened but he said nothing, like he didn’t know what to say.
Neal’s eyes narrowed. “What are you fishing for, jaguar?”
“If he is a shared resource, he should be shared, no?”
“Shared how?” Sasha demanded.
“Doc.” Neal touched his leg. “Calm down.”
“No, Neal. I want to hear his answer. I’m already working in the clinic, and dealing with jaguar injuries. I want to hear how he thinks I’m not shared enough.”
“You live with the tigers.” Miguel gestured at the ones around the table and, by extension, the rest of the building.
“Yeah? Because I’m sleeping with three of them.”
Miguel’s face flushed. “So the rumors are true.”
“What rumors?”
Miguel hesitated, glancing at Neal and then Steve. Carlos shifted his weight in his seat, eyes narrowed as he gazed at Miguel.
Yeah, buster. Get an idea of the size of my lovers before you insult my sexual orientation.
Buy link: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/tiger-tiger-p-72887.html
Aunt Noony’s Meatless Scramble
Serves 4
Ingredients:
8 eggs
1/2 C whole milk
2 T butter
2 T chopped fresh chives or green onions
1/2 C fresh broccoli tops, chopped
1/2 C chopped zucchini
1/2 C mushrooms (use your favorite; plain white mushrooms are good or go gourmet)
1/2 C crumbled feta cheese
1 t salt
1 t seasoning (I like to use curry powder or Hyde Park Seasoning from The Spice House) http://www.thespicehouse.com/spices/hyde-park-seasoning-blend
Instructions:
Whisk eggs and milk in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with salt and seasoning of your choice. Heat the butter over medium heat in a cast iron skillet (or plain non-stick skillet if you don’t have iron). Sauté chives or onion in the butter until they become translucent. Add the broccoli, zucchini and mushrooms and cook for about two minutes. Whisk the eggs again, making sure to get as much air into them as you can, then pour them slowly into the butter and chive mixture. Let the eggs cook for about a minute, until the edges start to get firm, then use a spatula to push the cooked eggs to the center of the pan and the liquid to flow around underneath, so it can cook. I like my scrambled eggs to be medium-well, meaning very little liquid, but you can cook them as much as you like. When they’re just about done, add the feta and stir it so it warms.
Enjoy!
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4 comments:
Hey, Catherine. Welcome to the Naughty Nine. The eggs sounds yummy. And--yay! More tigers! I've been waiting FOREVER for this one.
Thank you, PG! High praise, indeed. You have me grinning at my computer. :)
We'll try not to make you wait so long for TJ's book, which is next in the series.
Yum! And I'm so psyched about the book.
Thank you, Darla! I'm excited too. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment!
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